Refrigerating apparatus



Nov. 16, 1937.

R. D. KNEISLEY REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 29, .1955

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 16, 1937. R. D. KNl-:lsLEY 2,099,653

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 29, 1935 ."5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Plc/Meo /1 Ive/:A7,

I l n //S ATTORNEYS.

i Patented Nov. 16,

' fi UNITED'STATES BEFRIGERATING APPARATUS Richard n'xneisley, Dayton, ohio', `assumer to" General vMotors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a y

corporation of Ohio Application March 29, 1935, serial No. 13,124 '2 claims. (ci. gli-.143)

The present inventionrelates shelving lforrefrigerator cabinetaj y, object of the presentv invention is {topravide an, improved'construction of supports A for movable or sliding shelves. i, l

Another object ofthe invention is to provide supports for such movable or sliding shelves which are readily removable from a refrigerator v `cabinet for cleaning but which are securely held in place in the cabinet againsty accidental` removl- A further object ofthe invention is' to provide a unitary'constructionof whichashelf incorpo- `ratedy therein may be pulled voutwardly of a refrigerator cabinet l'through vthe door opening thereof like'a drawer, to substantially the full extentof its length, so as to expose to view articles supported thereon without stooping ,to peer inandso that any article' on it` may be lifted therefrom without having to tilt the, article to tion 2|. The members I9 of the vshelf device [|15 avoid vstrilririgtlie'upper shelf.` v In carrying yout the foregoing'objects itis a 'stillfurther and more speciic object of the present invention to provide'a combined support and l track for slidingl shelves which is constructed or. formed of sheet or strapmetal so as `to facilitate production thereof and v reduced manufacturing coststo a I v "Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be Vapparent from. the following description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form. of the present `inventionis clearly shown.l In the drawings: f y Fig. l is a fragmentary vertical Vsectional view through a refrigerator l cabinet of. the `household type having shelving arrangements lconstructed in accordance with the invention mounted-.there- 40 Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal view through the cabinet disclosed' in Fig. and showing the shelving in ynormal position;

Fig.3 is a fragmentaryl 'sectionalview 4of the,

cabinet taken on the line'-ofligjand showing aY front view of the shelving; 1

Fig- 4 'is'eviewsimuar to Fig. 2 and shows a modified form o fshelving mounted in the cabinet;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the modified shelving and is taken on the line 5f-5 of Fig. v4; andl Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig.` 3 and showing `a.

front plan view of the modified shelving.

'Referringto the drawingsforthe purpose-of 'l illustration, ,I have shown in Fig. lthereof a refrigerator cabinet of the household type gener- "ol ally designated' by the reference character I0.

The cabinet I0 includes a plurality of `insulatedwalls I I surrounding and forming a compartmentV I 2 having. a metal lining I3. The compartment' I2 is adaptedto be cooled by, a cooling element I4 `mounted therein in any suitable manner and,` 5 connected with a refrigerant circulating unit (not shown). Thecompartment-IZ is provided with an access opening I5 whichis ordinarilyclosed by adoor (not shown), A plurality of horizontalf 1y disposed andyvverticallyspaced apart shelving 10 devices lgenerally designated by the reference character I1 dividethe compartment I2 of cabinet Illl into a `plurality of superimposed food storage chambers.

Each of the shelving devices Il includes a pair l5 of hori'zontallyalignedand spaced apart mem-` bers I9-adapted to Vbe detachably mounted with'- in compartment I2 adjacent the vertical sidewalls of the lining member: I3. The devices I'Ialso include a movablelfood supporting shelf ypor- 20 v 26 is adapted to be slipped over the shank portion of a screw. bolt or like element 21,\ se

cured to the lining I3 near' therear of compart- 35 mentv I2. lThe shank portion of the screws yor boltsv 23 and 21 are, surrounded by a collar 30 (see Figs.- 2 and?) which spaces the supporting members I9 the properdistance inwardly of the A side walls of the food compartment lining' I3. 40 The ears 22and 24 together with the screwsior bolts 23 and 2l serve to'removably position the unitary shelf device I1 withincompartment I2. The bottom portionY of the members I9 is bent..

outwardly andthence upwardly intermediate the 45 ears 22 and 24, as at A28, and infront .of ea.r 22, as at 29, to form or provide a supporting track.

" The vertical portion ofthe membersIS above the ears 22and 24 is hallowed out. as at 3i, to form or provide an elongated horizontallyextending 50 opening. .'I'he `movable or slidable shelf portion l' 2I of the 'device I1 yincludes a pair of rods `32- which extend longitudinally and parallel with the members I9. A plurality of horizontally disposed:`

and spaced apart cross rods 33 are secured at 55 their ends, such as by being welded or soldered, to the rods 32 to form or provide a at food supporting-surface for the shelf 2|. The longitudinal rods 32 are adapted to be slidably carried in or on the tracks formed by the bent portions 28 and 29 on members i9. Rods 32 are of a thickness sufficient to bring their top surface up to or in horizontal alignment with the bottom wall of opening 3| when supported on the tracks. The one cross rod 35 at the rear of the shelf portion 2| of device |1 is longer than the other cross rods 33 (see Figs. 2 and 3) and has its ends 36 extending beyond the -rods 32 and through the opening 3| in members i9. Extension -of the ends 36 of cross rod 35 into or through the opening 3| in members I9 serves to provide a stop for preventing removal of the sliding shelf 2| of device |1 from the members and consequently from the cabinet ill since the ends 36 of rods 35 will strike the front end of the slot 3|. The ends 36 of rod 35 in opening 3| together with the manner of supporting the longitudinal rods 32 on members I9 serve to prevent the food supporting shelf portion 2| of device I1 from tilting or moving downwardly out of a horizontal plane when they are slid outwardly ofA the members i9.

It will be seen that I have provided a novel and improved sliding shelf for refrigerator cabinets and that the shelf 2| may be slid outwardly of compartment I2 to any one of a plurality of positions when the door, which .normally closes the compartment 'access opening I5, is open.V The shelf 2| may-be slid outwardly a distance equal to the .length of the slot 3| whence the ends 38 of rod 35 will strike the forward end of slot 3| and prevent further outward movement of the shelf. My sliding shelf while being rigidly mounted within the food storage compartment can be readily removed or detached therefrom for permitting cleaning of the shelf or cleaning of the food storage compartment walls. For example, to remove the unitary sliding shelf device thev two screws or bolts 23 at the front ofr the food storage compartment I2 are all that are required to be removed. After the screws or bolts 23 are removed the supporting or carrying members I9 of the shelf device I1 can be slid forward until the slots 26 in the members I9 clear the screws or bolts 21 at the rear'of the food compartment. 'I'he lunitary shelf device I1 is then free to be removed from the compartment for cleaning or other purposes.

In Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive I have disclosed a modified form of the invention. In this modified form of shelf arrangement a lug or horizontal extension 4| is provided on and at the back of each of the longitudinal rods 32 and these lugs extend into or through the elongated opening 3| in the members I9. Instead of providing an elongated track for the rods 32 the flat sheet metal mem-v the carrying members I 9 of the device I1 and also serve to maintain the shelf 2| Y in a horizontal plane when same is moved outwardly of themember s I9. The modified shelf arrangement disclosed may also be removed or detached from the cabinet I0. To remove the unitary shelf arrangement |1 shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 the screws 21 at the rear portion of compartment |2 are removed and the screws 23 at the front of compartment |2- are loosened. The rear portion of the supports I9 are then detached from the compartment walls and the front portion thereof may be elevated to cause the vertical slots provided in the front end of members I9 to disengage the screws or bolts 23. 'I'he unitary device |1 is then free to be bodily removed from the refrigerator cabinet. Y

Therefore it will be seen that either form of my improved sliding shelf arrangement disclosed can be manufactured at low cost by virtue of the shelf supporting or carrying members thereof being stamped or punched from flat sheet metal which is inexpensive as compared to telescoping tubing or roller and track combinations heretofore employed in the construction of sliding shelves. My slidingl shelf arrangement facilitates removal of food products from the storage compartment of a'refrigerator cabinet and also facilitates rearrangement of the food products by moving same to a position where they are readily accessible for removal without tilting orA strik ing an upper shelf. The improved shelfl'arrangements disclosed are rigidly mounted within the refrigerator cabinet so as to prevent vibration of the cooperating parts thereof andthe arrangement isv such that it can be readily removed from the cabinet to permit cleaning of the shelf device or cleaning of the food storage compartment walls.

While thel forms of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitute a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

c 1. In a slidable shelf unit adapted to be mounted in the food storage compartment .of a refrigerator cabinet comprising in combination, sheet metal guide members adapted to be disposed in substantially the'same horizontal plane for extension along opposedside walls of the food compartment, means for detachably mounting said guide members against movement relative to said compartment wallsQsaid sheet metal guide members each including a horizontally extended track portion adapted to support a shelf thereon and an integral upwardly'disposed portion having any elongated horizontally extending opening therein adapted to receive a part of the shelf for retaining same on the guide members, a shelf having its side edges carried by said shelf supporting track portion of said guide members and having a part thereof projecting outwardly beyond each of its side edges into the elongated opening in said guide members,l said shelf havingy a reticulated food supporting area between its side edges and being'slidable relative to said guide members outwardly of the food compartment of the refrigerator cabinet, said projecting parts of said shelf being adapted to engage the upper wall of the elongated opening in said guide members and cooperating with said shelf supporting track portion thereof to prevent tilting of the shelf when same is slid outwardly of the food storage compartment, and said projecting parts of said shelf being adapted to engage the wall of the forward end of the elongated opening in said guide members for limiting movement of the shelf outwardly of the food compartment.

2. In a slidable shelf unitadapted to be mounted in the food storage compartment of a refrigerator cabinetl comprising in combination, sheet metal guide members adapted to be disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane 75 for extension along opposed side walls of the food compartment, means for detachably mounting said guide members against movement relative to said compartment walls, said sheet metal guide members each including a U-shaped track portion adapted to support a shelf thereon, one leg of the U-'shaped track portion of said guide members extendingV upwardly beyond the other leg thereof and having an elongated horizontally extending opening therein adapted to receive a part of the shelf for retaining same on the guide o members, a shelf comprising edge members carried in the U-shaped trackportion of the guide members and having a plurality of cross members secured in spaced apart relation along the edge members to provide a food supporting area therebetween, one of said 'shelf crjossl members being of greater length than others thereof and vthe shelf when same is slid outwardly of the food 10 storage compartment, and said projecting portions of said one shelf cross member also being adapted to engage the wall at thefcrward endl of the elongated opening in said guide members for limiting movementl of the shelf outwardly of ,l5

. the food compartment.

i. mor-:IARD D. KNEISLEY.y 

